Film fest showcases contemporary Japanese culture

Jan. 16, 2008

KALAMAZOO--The Japan Foundation Midwest Film Festival visits
Western Michigan University Jan. 22 through March 11,
presenting five films on contemporary Japanese culture and the
powerful, uninhibited youth who are redefining it.

All screenings are open to the public free of charge. Shows
will begin at 7 p.m. in WMU's Little Theatre, located at
the corner of Oakland Drive and Oliver Street.

"Pacchigi," directed by Kazuyuki Izutsu (2004),
will be shown Tuesday, Jan. 22. Awarded the top spot in Japan's
prestigious 2006 Kinema Junpo critics poll, this film doles out
equal amounts of tender romance and bottle-breaking brawls in
a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set amidst warring clans of Japanese
and Korean students in the 1960s. The film has a run time of
119 minutes and is shown in Japanese and Korean with English
subtitles.

"Water Boys," directed by Shinobu Yaguchi (2001),
will be shown Tuesday, Feb. 5. "Water Boys" is
a comedy about a group of high school boys influenced by their
attractive new swim coach. After deciding to form the first all-male
high school synchronized swim team, the boys realize they're
so pathetic they can barely keep themselves afloat. They are
driven to persevere, despite their coach's sudden pregnancy.
The film has a run time of 91 minutes and is shown in Japanese
with English subtitles.

"All Under the Moon," directed by Yoichi Sai
(1993), is the Tuesday, Feb. 19 offering. The film is about
Chung Nam, one of the millions of Korean residents living in
Japan. Like the others, Nam remains unassimilated to the country
and without citizenship after several generations. Anti-Korean
prejudice is strong, so he calls himself by the Japanese-sounding
name, "Tadao." He earns his living by driving for a
Korean-owned taxi company. Nam dislikes his mother and the more
recent immigrants who frequent her sleazy nightclub. But, even
he cannot resist the charm of his mother's new hire, a beautiful
young woman from the Philippines. The film has a run time of
109 minutes and is shown in Japanese with English subtitles.

"Hanging Garden," directed by Toshiaki Toyoda
(2005), will be shown Tuesday, Feb. 26. The film revolves
around a seemingly perfect family. Bright, with sound finances
and a large home, they talk about everything honestly--no omissions,
no taboo subjects. But, situations aren't as perfect as they
seem. Mother has a vicious streak. Father has a pair of mistresses.
Son is nearly a shut in, and daughter is experimenting with sex.
Each member of the family has huge secrets tucked away from the
others. The film has a run time of 113 minutes and is shown in
Japanese with English subtitles.

"Linda Linda Linda," directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita
(2005), will be shown Tuesday, March 11. With just three
days until their high school festival, guitarist Kei, drummer
Kyoko, and bassist Nozomi are forced to recruit a new lead vocalist
for their band. They choose Son, a Korean exchange student who
speaks Japanese that is broken at best. It's a race against time
as the group struggles to learn three tunes for the festival's
rock concert, including a classic 1980s punk song by the Japanese
group, Blue Hearts. The film has a run time of 114 minutes and
is shown in Japanese with English subtitles.

The 2008 Japan Foundation Midwest Film Festival is presented
by WMU's Soga Japan Center and is co-sponsored by the Japan-America
Society of West Michigan. For more information, visit www.wmich.edu/sogajapancenter,
or contact Dr. Steve Covell at s.covell@wmich.edu
or (269) 387-4365.